Who will walk the runway during New York Fashion Week and win $20,000? You decide.
Mianna Morrison
Must be in the top 20 in their group to advance to the next round.
Voting for this round ends on July 30, 2026 at 9:00 PM EDT
About Mianna Morrison
I am a newly minted model, who enjoys alternative and artistic fashion. I am a disabled Marine Corps veteran, a mother, a partner, philosophy major, a friend, and an advocate for those who need an advocate (within reason).
DO YOU WANT TO WALK DURING NEW YORK FASHION WEEK AND WIN $20,000?
IT’S NOT TOO LATE TO SIGN UP
Learn More About Mianna Morrison
What makes you the Next Runway Star?
What makes me a runway star isn't perfection—it's presence. The confidence I bring to the runway was shaped by military service, motherhood, hardship, and the kindness people showed me. As a medically retired Marine Corps veteran, I learned discipline, resilience, and how to stay calm under pressure. Becoming a mother taught me that real strength is just as much about compassion as perseverance. Outside of modeling, I study philosophy because I believe beauty has greater meaning when it's paired with curiosity and depth. I'm fascinated by what it means to truly see another person beyond our assumptions and experiences, and that perspective shapes how I carry myself. My style embraces a darker, timeless elegance rooted in mystery, intelligence, and quiet confidence. I hope to represent women who know beauty can be strong, thoughtful, resilient, and unapologetically unique. If people remember how they felt—not just what they saw—when I walked the runway, then I've done what I came to d
What would this once in a lifetime experience mean to you and why?
This opportunity would mean far more than walking a runway or seeing my name in a magazine. It would help me build a more secure future for my daughter and me while opening the door to an industry I've dreamed of joining. As a medically retired Marine Corps veteran, mother, and philosophy student, I hope to use fashion as more than a profession—I want it to become a platform for meaningful conversations about resilience, character, beauty, and the importance of cultivating our inner world. I believe physical beauty matters, but wisdom, compassion, and self-development give it lasting depth. If I have the privilege of reaching people through modeling, I want to encourage confidence rooted not only in appearance, but in who we choose to become. I hope my legacy is remembered for more than how I looked or what I wore. I hope it's remembered for inspiring people to think more deeply, live more intentionally, and become the best versions of themselves.
What are you most proud of about yourself or what have you overcome and why?
What I'm most proud of isn't one accomplishment—it's my willingness to keep becoming someone stronger without losing my compassion. I was born at home without a birth certificate or Social Security number and spent my childhood living off the land, largely disconnected from modern society. My family were not immigrants, just odd. At eighteen, after fighting to get my papers for 2 years, I joined the Marine Corps and faced an entirely different world. I adapted to the culture shock, overcame injuries, earned my college education while serving, and carried those lessons into civilian life. Later, I found the strength to leave an abusive ten-year relationship and rebuild my life from the ground up. Choosing to model has been another act of courage, teaching me confidence after years of self-doubt. Every chapter has challenged me to grow. Today, I'm proud not because life has been easy, but because I've continued to choose resilience, wisdom, and hope over fear.
What would you do with the $20,000 cash prize?
The $20,000 prize would be life-changing. First, I would pay down debt and set aside savings to help build a more secure future for my daughter. I would invest in launching my modeling career and developing my own fashion designs, with the hope of creating a platform that encourages resilience, thoughtful conversation, and personal growth. I would also dedicate part of the prize to causes that are deeply personal to me, including helping children raised in isolated fundamentalist homeschooling environments gain identification and access to greater opportunities, and supporting research into Ehlers-Danlos syndrome to help improve the lives of others facing similar challenges. I know what it's like to begin life with obstacles beyond your control, and I want to help create more opportunities, more answers, and more hope. For me, this prize wouldn't simply change my life—it would become a way to change lives beyond my own.
Content from Mianna Morrison
Vote for Mianna Morrison
Rise is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit that helps sexual assault survivors across the country and around the world. They’ve created the most successful legislative reform movement in U.S. history: 120 laws passed, 1 UN Resolution and 112 million people’s lives impacted by their efforts.
How It Works
Free votes
Get 1 free vote daily. Verify yourself through Facebook to make sure you're a real human.
Cast Charity Votes to Help Your Favorite Entrant While Supporting Rise
These votes benefit Rise. The best part? There's no limit on how many you can cast.
Confirm payment
Confirm and complete payment if needed.
Share
Share the profile to invite your friends to vote!
POWERED BY
Elevate provides life-changing prizes for participants, impactful engagement for brands, and helps generate millions of dollars in donations for worthwhile charities through our interactive competitions like NEXT RUNWAY STAR and NEXT MUSIC STAR.